Ouagadougou Stargazing & Astronomy Report

Key Sky Quality Metrics

SQM (mag/arcsec²)

18.48

Bortle class

Class 8 (Class 8)

Darkness Quotient

27%

Dataset

May 2026

City sky

Ouagadougou: The Practical Verdict

Ouagadougou, the bustling capital of Burkina Faso, is a major city with a dense urban environment. The overall quality of its night sky is poor due to high light pollution, with a Darkness Quotient indicating a high-pollution environment. The primary limitation here is indeed the pervasive urban glow, which means the Milky Way is not visible at all.

The bright city lights wash out most celestial objects, leaving only the Moon, planets, bright stars, and double stars readily visible. Narrowband imaging might still be feasible with care, but deep-sky observing is largely impractical. Avoid targets such as faint nebulae, broadband galaxies, and meteor showers, as these will be drowned out by the light pollution.

For serious astronomy, Wamde Renere to the north-east offers a substantially darker sky under Bortle 3 conditions. At around 270 km, it's a longer drive but worthwhile for those keen on deep-sky observations.

At a Glance

Overall

Poor city sky - This is a poor city sky. The Milky Way is not visible and most deep-sky observing is unrealistic from the location itself.

Milky Way

Not visible - The Milky Way is erased by the bright urban sky background.

Best targets from here

Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events, narrowband imaging only with care

Do not prioritise

visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae, widefield Milky Way

Best nearby upgrade

Wamde Renere sits about 272 km north east and reaches Bortle 3, roughly 19x darker.

Good dark window

Ouagadougou retains astronomical darkness throughout the year, so seasonality is less extreme than at higher latitudes. The main limitation is light pollution, not the length of the dark window.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see the Milky Way from Ouagadougou?

No. Ouagadougou is a Bortle Class 8 sky with SQM 18.48, so the Milky Way is not visible from the city. For Milky Way photography, look for a Bortle 4 or darker site.

What Bortle class is Ouagadougou?

Ouagadougou is Bortle Class 8 (SQM 18.48), a poor city sky for astronomy.

Is Ouagadougou good for stargazing?

Not for serious deep-sky observing. Ouagadougou is a poor city sky where the Moon, planets, and a handful of bright targets are the realistic options from the city itself.

Is Ouagadougou good for astrophotography?

Broadband deep-sky imaging is heavily compromised from Ouagadougou and a Bortle 4 or darker site is strongly recommended. Even narrowband imaging is difficult from Ouagadougou without careful processing.

What can you observe from Ouagadougou?

Primary targets from Ouagadougou include Moon, planets, bright stars, double stars, solar system events. Targets such as visual deep-sky observing, broadband galaxies, reflection nebulae are not realistic from this sky.

Where are darker skies near Ouagadougou?

The closest meaningfully darker mapped site is Koubri, about 41 km east south east of Ouagadougou, reaching Bortle 4.

When is the sky darkest in Ouagadougou?

The sky over Ouagadougou is darkest around January, December.

Is light pollution in Ouagadougou getting better or worse?

Long-term light pollution over Ouagadougou has been broadly stable across the available measurements.

• Koubri

  Direction

  ESE

  Distance (km)

  41

  SQM

  20.92

  Bortle

  4

• Oroboye, Mopti

  Direction

  WNW

  Distance (km)

  264.3

  SQM

  21.59

  Bortle

  3

• Wamde Renere

  Direction

  NE

  Distance (km)

  272.3

  SQM

  21.68

  Bortle

  3